NEW YORK, 2 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, the UN investigators said that during a decade of conflict, several thousand of people rounded up by the Syrian authorities have been missing, many tortured, raped or killed that has amounted to war crimes and against humanity crimes.  

The investigators said in their latest report, "The fate of tens of thousands of the victims who were subjected to the arbitrary and incommunicado detention and enforced disappearance by Syrian Government forces, and at a lesser scale, by ISIL, HTS and other armed groups remains unknown as we reach the end of a decade."

The issue of detainees represents a "national trauma" that would affect Syrian society for decades, they said.

However, the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has denied many previous U.N. accusations of war crimes and says it does not torture prisoners.

The UN investigators conducted 2,658 interviews, including with some former ex-detainees, and used official documents, photographs, videos, and satellite imagery to document crimes in more than 100 detention facilities run by all forces.

Emphasizing the situation in the country, the Commission of Inquiry on Syria, led by Paulo Pinheiro, called for perpetrators on all sides to be prosecuted and for the creation of an international mechanism to locate the missing.

GANDHINAGAR, 2 March, 2021 (TON): Trending figures of the votes cast in Gujarat's local body polls were underway on Tuesday, that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is leading in the majority of the areas.

Four have been captured by the BJP and one has gone to Congress in the first two hours of counting results of five out of the 81 municipalities arrived.

In 31 districts, four have gone to the BJP and one to the Congress.

Out of the 231 tehsil panchayats,  13 to the BJP, and two to Congress.

According to the State Election Commission (SEC), around 64 percent voter turnout was recorded in the elections to Gujarat's 81 municipalities, 31 district panchayats, and 231 taluka panchayats which were held in a largely peaceful manner on Sunday.

Presently, the elections were held on a total of 8,235 seats and the BJP had fielded 8,161 candidates, Congress 7,778, AAP 2,090, among others.

DAKAR, 2 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, Senegal’s opposition party said police had arrested almost 80 of his supporters, calling them political hostages.

Ousseynou Ly, a Pastef spokesman, told the media that 77 "political hostages" are in detention.

However, Ousmane Sonko the leader of the party who got accused of sexual assault whose supporters subsequently clashed with police during protests outside Sonko's residence on 8 February.

Sonko, the 46-year-old head of the opposition Pastef party, came third in the 2019 presidential election, which saw President Sall win a second term in office, and is considered a future presidential contender in the West African state.

On Monday, a coalition of 20 teachers' unions also called for a 24-hour strike in protest at the alleged arrest of two teachers who support Sonko.

Last week, Senegal's parliament stripped Sonko of his legal immunity, opening the way towards a police investigation of the complaint.

JERUSALEM, 2 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, UAE’s first ambassador to Israel arrived.

The official came to present his credentials to President Reuvin Rivlin to start his posting in Tel Aviv; however, he met the FM Gabi Ashkenazi in Jerusalem ahead of meeting the president.

In a new phase of diplomatic relations between the countries, Al Kaja said, “relations will remain a beacon of light and hope in human history, for all of the peace-loving people.” Israel and the UAE announced what has become known as the “Abraham Accords” in August to normalize ties under a US-brokered deal. The name refers to the patriarch of the world’s three major monotheistic religions.

Until last August, Egypt and Jordan were the only Arab states to have signed peace treaties with Israel, in 1979 and 1994, respectively as the U.S. broke deals to start relations between the two, Bahrain, Sudan, and Morocco.

BEIJING, 2 March, 2021 (TON): As strategic rivalry with the United States spurs a shift to reliance on consumption and home-grown technology, China’s annual session of parliament is set to chart a course for economic recovery and disclose a five-year plan to topple stagnation.

Reports state that on Friday, the National People’s Congress (NPC) will open, in which the 2021 work report will be delivered by Premier Li Keqiang.

Also, a 14-year plan, blueprints (2021-2025) are to released the very day.

Sources have said a goal of the plan will be to achieve economic growth averaging around 5%.

The country may also seem to set electoral reforms to enforce Beijing’s ambition to have the Chinese territory and to marginalize pro-democracy candidates in Hong Kong, where Beijing has been tightening its grip since imposing national security legislation last year after months of unrest in 2019.

A Beijing-based consultancy, said in a recent report, “The 14th 5-year plan will give science, technology, and innovation near-absolute priority.”

However, many economists are of the view that China will leapfrog the United States as the world’s biggest economy in 2028, due to the contrasting pandemic recoveries of the two countries.

LONDON, 2 March, 2021 (TON): While the British government cut 50 percent of its humanitarian support for war-torn country Yemen because of its biggest recession, Yemenis and other charity groups have urged Britain to reconsider its broken assistance.  

At a major virtual pledging conference on Monday, the UN looked to raise some $3.85 billion from more than 100 governments and donors, to help Yemen's plight.

On Monday, Former International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell that cutting aid to Yemen would be very serious indeed and would lead to the slow, agonizing and obscene process of starving to death for millions.

A Yemeni aid worker said, “It is hard to describe how heartbreaking the situation in Yemen is right now. Children are dying every day here. It is not a moral decision to abandon Yemen.”

“We are beyond dismayed by reports that the government intends to cut aid to Yemen by a staggering 50 percent. To slash food and medicine to these children as they stand on the brink of famine and a second COVID-19 wave risks many thousands of deaths,” said Kevin Watkins, CEO of Save the Children UK.

“This is one of the first illustrations of the devastating real-life consequences of the UK’s decision to abandon its commitment to spend 0.7 percent of gross national income on aid, and we hope the government will urgently rethink this move in time to avoid tragic consequences for the world’s most vulnerable children.”

Yemen has been going through a civil war in 2014 when Iran-backed Houthi militias seized the capital, leading the internationally recognized government to flee to neighboring Saudi Arabia. Till now, the country’s unrest has not been met.

ATHENS, 2 March, 2021 (TON): As Ankara faced criticism from some quarters, last week Greek Foreign Minister Nikos Dendias said that Greek authorities are not being naive about their exploratory talks with Turkey but they will not fall into the trap to undermine the dialogue by withdrawing from it.

Turkey was unable to reply to the invitation of the Greek foreign ministry on maritime exploratory talks to take place between 1 March and 5 March.

If Turkey accepted the invitation it would be the 62^nd round of talks that were resumed amid pressure from the EU, Germany in an attempt to ease tension in the eastern Mediterranean.

Last week, Ankara accused Athens of sending F-16 fighter jets to harass the Cesme and published a video to support its claims. However, Greece said it did not violate the protection bubble around the vessel.

While accusing Greece of illegal turning away of migrants trying to cross the Turkish border, it said, “Push-backs and unlawful practices that Greece has been carrying out in a systematic policy where in some cases the EU Border and Coast Guard Agency/Frontex has also been involved have been continuing for years,” it said. “In the past four years, more than 80,000 asylum-seekers were pushed back to our country.”

However, the relations of both countries are under observation and under the focus of the next European Council Summit in Brussels on 25 and 26 March, as of March 2016 EU-Turkey migration statement is examined by Brussels.  

NAYPYITAW, 2 March, 2021 (TON): In an effort to tackle the injurious violence and cope with the political unrest in Myanmar, On Tuesday the foreign ministers of Southeast Asian countries prepared for a special meeting with Myanmar’s ruling military.

ASEAN groups Myanmar, Singapore, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Brunei, and Vietnam, will encourage dialogue between Suu Kyi and the junta.

The streets of the country went quiet largely ahead of what protesters said would be another big demonstration.

On Monday, Police fired tear gas and stun grenades to disperse hundreds of protesters in the big city Yangon and other side streets.

Junta leader Senior General Min Aung Hlaing however, said protest leaders and “instigators” would be punished and threatened action against civil servants who were refusing to work.

He has pledged to hold new elections and hand power to the winner but has given no clear time frame.

In a television interview late on Monday, he said ASEAN would encourage dialogue between Suu Kyi and the junta.

“There is the political leadership and there is the military leadership, on the other hand. They need to talk, and we need to help bring them together,” Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan said.

Sa Sa, the committee’s anointed envoy to the United Nations, said ASEAN should have no dealings with “this illegitimate military-led regime”.

Philippine Foreign Minister, Teodoro Locsin, indicated on Twitter that ASEAN would be firm with Myanmar and said its policy of non-interference in a member’s internal affairs “is not a blanket approval or tacit consent for wrong to be done there”.

The United States warned Myanmar’s military rulers on Monday that it would take more action if security forces kill unarmed people and attack journalists and activists, which State Department spokesman Ned Price called “abhorrent violence”.

Currently, the Nobel Peace laureate has not been seen in public since her government was toppled and she was detained along with other party leaders, however, she appeared before the court on Monday via video link.

KUWAIT CITY, 2 March, 2021 (TON): On Monday, Kuwait’s foreign minister Sheikh Ahmed Nasser Mohammed Al-Sabah met U.S. special envoy to Yemen Tim Lendertaking.

He admired Kuwait’s efforts for its political and humanitarian contributions in providing protection to Yemen.

He also gave directives on the latest advancement in the crisis.

Lenderking said, “Washington will continue to put pressure on the Houthi militia to halt attacks on civilian areas.”

He again condemned the repeated assaults by the Iran-backed group on targets in Saudi Arabia that suppose to be a direct threat to Gulf and Arab national security.

On the other hand, Sheikh Ahmed also put forward the country’s desire to help and support Yemen and its people by restoring national security and stability and will help promote the U.S. in resolving the crisis.

TEHRAN, 1 March, 2020, (TON):  The European Union's political chief recently proposed the casual gathering including all gatherings of the Vienna bargain, a recommendation acknowledged by US President Joe Biden's organization.

Following Biden's political race, the US, the European gatherings to the arrangement - France, Germany and Britain - and Tehran have been attempting to rescue the understanding, which conceded Iran global approvals help as a trade-off for limitations on its atomic program.

The understanding has been approaching breakdown since previous president Donald Trump singularly pulled out in 2018 and strengthens devastating approvals as a component of a "greatest pressing factor" crusade against Tehran.

"Considering the recent positions and actions of the United States and the three European countries, (Iran) does not consider the time suitable to hold the informal meeting proposed by the European coordinator," foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said in a statement.

"There has still been no change in the US positions and behavior yet," he added, saying the Biden administration has continued "Trump’s failed policy of maximum pressure".

Biden has flagged preparation to resuscitate the arrangement, yet demands Iran first re-visitation of all its atomic responsibilities, the majority of which it suspended in light of the assents, while Tehran requests Washington venture out rejecting the authorizations.

"While we are disappointed at Iran’s response, we remain ready to reengage in meaningful diplomacy to achieve a mutual return to compliance," a White House spokesperson said on Sunday.

"We will be consulting with our P5+1 partners on the best way forward," the representative added, alluding to the gathering of the five perpetual individuals on the UN Security Council, in addition to Germany.

The foreign ministry statement comes ahead of a quarterly gathering Monday of the United Nations atomic guard dog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) board of governors,

Which are probably going to discuss Iran's new limitations of some nuclear inspections.

"Remember: Trump failed to meet because of his ill-advised ‘Max Failure’," Khatibzadeh wrote on Twitter soon after his statement.

Tehran’s position is unchanged "with sanctions in place... Censuring is NOT diplomacy. It doesn’t work with Iran", he added.

Signed in 2015 by Iran and several world powers, including the US, the JCPOA placed significant restrictions on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanctions relief. Former President Trump withdrew the US from the deal in 2018. Earlier, President Biden said the US will return to the JCPOA if Iran resumes compliance.